1
as in played
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flirted
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dawdled
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dallied
The full-backs, meanwhile, took their time from throw-ins, ensuring team-mates behind the ball were secure and Emiliano Martinez, who produced a second spellbinding save in as many visits to Nottingham, dallied from goal kicks.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallied
Verb
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Kornet played six minutes, missed all three of his shot attempts and finished with only two points, but the block was an epic moment.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Ward has played just nine games in left field for OKC this season.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Cholowsky and the bat boy lingered in their embrace, clinging to the final remnants of a season neither seemed ready to leave behind.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
Amtrak said later Monday the south tunnel was back up and running, but delays lingered at Newark's Penn Station.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
For a long time, the two of them were just friends who co-parented and occasionally flirted, letting things evolve naturally instead of putting the relationship in a pressure cooker, Charlotte-style, or eschewing all intimacy à la Samantha.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
3 June 2026
-
The pop star has flirted with the idea of performing on the Main Stem before.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Four years later — after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.—
Pat Graham,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
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Four years later — and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with finding his replacement — Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys teammate Dan Reeves.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
With the squad heavily depleted at the start of pre-season due to the World Cup, a number of decisions regarding loan moves for youngsters are set to be delayed until later in the window.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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However, opposition to these plans delayed any major activity on the ground till the the late 2000s.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Verb
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After flying to the exotic location, Jenner lounged around in a tiny pink bikini in the same color as her brand's font.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
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Posing against the backdrop of the ocean, Klum twirled around and lounged on a log in the sand, showing off different angles of the plunging string bikini design.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Although Schwarze ultimately prevailed, the party’s divisions were on display as the endorsement battle dragged on through six ballots.—
Jay Gabler,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
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But as his contentious divorce and custody battle against Jolie dragged on, reports emerged in 2021 that Maddox had testified in the case.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallied. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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